Use one of these ointments for no longer than a week after your initial piercing only if needed as a barrier: Bacitracin, A&D Ointment, or Triple Antibiotic Ointment.

Cleaning Instructions

WASH your hands thoroughly prior to cleaning, or touching on or near your piercing for any reason.

DISOLVE any scabs or buildup of skin cells with warm water before cleaning. This will allow for safe movement of the jewelry. Never pick off the scabs, it results in longer healing times and excessive irritation.

SEA SALT or SALINE soak at least two to three times daily. Simply invert a cup of the warm sea salt or saline solution over the area to form a vacuum for a few minutes. The longer you soak the better. For certain placements it may be easier to apply using fresh gauze or a cotton ball saturated with the sea salt or saline solution.

SOAP no more than once a day while showering. Lather up a pearl size drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Only rotate jewelry if there is no scabbing or residue on the jewelry. Leave the cleanser on the piercing no more than thirty seconds, then rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of the soap from the piercing!

DRY with disposable paper products such as gauze or tissues, because cloth towels can harbor bacteria and catch on new piercings causing injury. Pat gently to avoid trauma.

APPLY a small amount of an antibiotic ointment to each side of the piercing if you will be exposed to any sort of hazardous environment (dust, pet dander, etc.)

During healing: some discoloration, itching, secretion of a whitish-yellow fluid (not pus) that will form some crust on the jewelry. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.

Once healed: the jewelry may not move freely in the piercing; DO NOT force it. If you fail to include cleaning your piercing as a part of your daily hygiene routine, normal (but smelly) bodily secretions may accumulate.

A piercing may seem healed before healing is complete. This is because piercings heal from the outside in, and although it feels healed the tissue remains fragile on the inside. BE PATIENT, and keep cleaning throughout the entire healing period.

Even healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! This varies from person to person; if you like your piercing, leave the jewelry in place.

What To Do

Wash your hands prior to touching the piercing; leave it alone except when cleaning. It is not necessary to rotate the jewelry while healing except during cleaning (make sure all debris is clear of the jewelry before any rotation)

Stay healthy. Get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. The healthier your lifestyle, the easier it will be for your piercing to heal. Exercise during healing is fine, just “listen” to your body.

Showering is safer than taking a bath, because bathtubs tend to harbor bacteria. If you would like to take a bath, clean the tub well before each use.

What To Avoid

Do not change the jewelry prematurely. Most Aftermarket Jewelry is not suited for initial healing and can create major issues with healing and lead to potential infection!

Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion of the area, playing with the jewelry and vigorous cleaning. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, and other complications.

Avoid the use of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Betadine, Hibiclens or Bactine to clean your piercing.

Avoid over cleaning. This can delay your healing and irritate your piercing.

Avoid all oral contact, rough play, and contact with others’ bodily fluids on or near your piercing during healing.

Avoid stress and recreational drug use including excessive caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

Avoid submerging the piercing in bodies of water such as lakes, pools, jacuzzis, etc. Or protect your piercing using a special waterproof bandage* such as Tegaderm, which is available at drugstores.

Avoid all beauty and personal care products on or around the piercing including cosmetics, lotions, and sprays, etc.

Don’t hang charms or any object from your jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

Hints and Tips

Unless there is a problem with the size, style, or material of the initial jewelry, leave it in place for the entire healing period. A qualified piercer should perform any necessary jewelry change that occurs during healing.
Contact your piercer if your jewelry must be temporarily removed (such as for a medical procedure). There are non-metallic jewelry alternatives.

Leave jewelry in at all times. Even old, well-healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes after having been there for years! If removed, re-insertion can be difficult or impossible.

With clean hands or paper product, be sure to regularly check threaded ends on your jewelry for tightness.

Should you decide you no longer want the piercing, seek professional help in the removal of the jewelry and continue cleaning the piercing until the hole closes. In most cases only a small indentation will remain.

In the event that an infection is suspected, quality jewelry or an inert alternative should be left in place to allow for drainage of the infection. Should the jewelry be removed, the surface cells can close up sealing the infection inside the piercing channel, resulting in an abscess. Until such time an infection is cleared up, leave quality jewelry in!

Contact us if you have questions or need assistance. In the event of an emergency contact your doctor.

Disclaimer: These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research, and extensive clinical practice. This information is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor. Be aware, however, that many doctors have no specific training or experience regarding piercings and may not be educated on how to best assist you.